Six months ago, seventeen-year-old Grey lost her best friend Elora, her twin flame. The girl simply disappeared without a trace – is she just another secret left to fester in the dark rot of the swamp?

We are deep in the Bayou, in a small town steeped in ancient magic: La Cachette is the self-proclaimed 'Psychic Capital of the World', so a secret 'lost' means a secret 'hidden'. Grey begins to realize just how deep this deception runs, as her own gift reaches out beyond the grave… When she meets a mysterious stranger that seems to have knowledge about the town's bloody history, she has to ask herself if she is willing to trust anybody – let alone him.

Ginny Myers Sain spins a tale that is unfolding slowly, revealing layer after layer of a dark mystery, in a unique blend of Bayou lore and urban fantasy. Her writing is dripping with a delightfully eerie atmosphere, and the lushly described setting adds to the feeling of dread and suspense. However, the suspense is subtle: a slow burn, an undercurrent, a whisper in the night. I did not mind this, as I felt that it allowed the atmosphere to really blossom, but if you want something tense and fast-paced, this might not be the book for you.

The characters are complex and engaging, even if they are holding their cards close to their chests. Everybody has secrets, and some of them might be deadly… The 'Summer Children', a group of young people with paranormal gifts, are more cursed than blessed, steering the book to a haunting ending that promises to be anything but shallow or tawdry.

All in all, I felt that »Dark and Shallow Lies« is a great read for Halloween season!